anisette

Oh I agree - it's way too easy to eat the whole thing! I've tried almost all of the Liberte Mediterranee flavors, and Moka is definitely my favorite. Wow! Dulce de leche flavor has me intrigued, I haven't seen that one yet - and that's probably a good thing! Liberte also makes a 'dessert' yogurt in Coconut, Apple Pie & Orange Marzipan although for some reason I can't find it on their website. Those flavors are all really good too and I think their fat content is about half of what the Mediterranee is - somewhere around 4%. Again, I could eat the whole container in one sitting, they're just too good. If you're looking for a great version of Greek style yogurt, try the Astro Balkan style plain yogurt at 6% MF, (mentioned up-thread) it's the red & white container with the cow pictured on the front available at Safeway, Superstore and a few other groceries. Having tried Fage in the US, this one would be the most comparable for plain yogurts that we have here in Canada.

Do try the Mocha Liberty - it is wonderful! It's more like dessert than yogurt and very thick and rich.

Thank you! Will post my results.

I've been eyeing the Peanut Butter Torte now for ages and finally decided to take the caloric plunge this weekend. One question: do you grind 24 Oreos (filling and all) or just the chocolate wafers? Thanks! I'm just completely in love with this book!

I took a bread baking class earlier in the year and the chef used Franken Bread Spice in his demonstration rye loaf. I can get this stuff by the 4 kg pail at Lentia locally in Vancouver, but I'd like to know if I can duplicate it at home. It obviously contained caraway seeds, but what else? Anyone know? I'd be forever grateful for a recipe for this!

Again, thanks to everyone for your wonderful recommendations! We ended up at Tutta Bella on Wednesday night - the night it rained like h#ll. Weather at its Pacific Northwest finest The pizza was good, albeit a bit too salty for my taste buds (and I like salt) but it was a warm and welcoming enivronment for a blustery day with a semi-cranky toddler. We didn't get any dough (sigh!) but did get some waxy swizzle sticks which DH and I enjoyed playing with far more than our daughter. Had a coconut cream pie at Dahlia's and it was all that everyone said it would be and more. Delish. Really looking forward to trying more of Seattle's wonderful offerings.

Thank you all so much for your quick responses and wonderful recommendations! Tutta Bella sounds like a place my daughter would love - she helps me 'make' pizza dough, so it should be fun. Tinyhandful, I adore roti canai, and Tropika is just not that great. Have you tried Auntie Anne's on Kingsway in Vancouver across from Safeway (between Boundary and Joyce)? It's not the nicest place, but the food is great and the roti canai is outstanding.

I'll be in Seattle over the next few days with hubby and daughter and would appreciate any recommendations for a decent dining place that's kid friendly. We'll be travelling by car, so Seattle and relatively close-by environs are good. Moderate prices and a casual atmosphere would be a must, although my little one is a well-behaved 2 1/2 year old (most of the time) I've already read several of the threads on the wondeful pastries & sandwiches Seattle has so I'll be hitting Dahlia for sure and if we have time Macrina, Salumi and Cafe Besalu (will have to figure out how to get to Ballard). But for dinner I'm completely stumped. Any help is greatly and muchly appreciated!

I re-read my post and realized my error. The jars work out to be around 15-25 cents each. Not the whole box...but at $1.80-$3 for 12, who's complaining? Let me know if you find any. Here in White Rock they had some earlier on in June, whether they still have them, I'm not sure.

Don't laugh, but I've seen boxes of them at Salvation Army. They're about 15 cents to 25 cents each. WAY cheaper than Superstore or Canadian Tire. All you have to do is buy the rings and lids. Good luck!

Thanks Anne, I forgot to check Galloways. I checked at Famous Foods and they didn't have it. So I guess it's not just my imagination that it's not that easy to find natural cocoa powder here. Or is it?

Thanks but Fry's is Dutch processed cocoa. I have a cannister to verify. Anyone else have a lead on unsweetened non-alkalized (natural) cocoa powder in the city? Thanks!

This is probably a dumb question, so pardon me for my ignorance, but please tell me if I'm wrong: I am only able to find Dutch processed cocoa, even the regular grocery stores carry it exclusively. I have yet to see natural or un-Dutched cocoa or am I just not looking in the right areas? I seem to remember buying Hershey's natural cocoa at the grocery stores years ago, but no longer. Is there anywhere where I can find the natural version locally? I'm not too picky at this point on the brand. I need it for a chocolate cake recipe I'll be trying out - the Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt cake which I have been inspired to try after reading the 17 pages of the quest for the perfect chocolate cake thread. Thanks!

CanadianBakin', Would you mind if I used your photo on my blog? Unfortunately I took no photos of Day 2...please, please, pretty please??

CanadianBakin', Who are you? I'm in the class as well and just happened across this thread. I sit in the back of the class. I'm loving it, isn't it fun? I'm hoping that you have some better pictures to share, as I have not been diligently snappy with my camera. Then by the time I get home, my husband gobbles up everything in sight. Looking foward to Tuesday's class.

Anyone in the Serious Foodie Pastry Class? I will be starting in March!

Chefdavid321: Would you care to share the name of your local Asian grocery store? I'm miles away from any gourmet store. and also: Thanks everyone! I didn't want to cause a controversy. I'm usually of the opinion that better is synonomous with expensive, but apparently not in the case of mandolines. I've done some research and it seems that the Benriner is really highly regarded by many home cooks and restaurants alike. Unfortunately, this year being the first with a little one makes the budget (shock! horror!) something I have to stick to. So a Benriner.

Hi everyone, Am busy crossing people off my xmas list and a fellow foodie has requested a mandoline. Have narrowed the choice down to the Benriner. Have any of you come across it anywhere aside from Ming Wo (their website says their standard size is $37.98 and their super is $69.98). I could swear I saw it somewhere cheaper, but cannot for the life of me remember where. Thanks in advance!

Just an FYI: Famous Foods stocks the Junket rennet.

Nothing problematic about that. It's all for the love of the cheese!

Was at Gourmet Warehouse yesterday and no luck with rennet. Will try the other local suggestions first and post my findings. Thanks for the Danlac website! I'll order from there if I can't find anything locally. I've been wanting to dabble in homemade cream cheese for a while now and the itch just really needs a scratch.

Anyone know where I could find rennet tablets or drops in the Lower Mainland? I hear the Junket brand aren't as strong as the 'real' rennet. Honestly, I don't know the difference, but I'd be interested in the regular rennet. Thanks!

Thanks for the tip! I didn't know this even existed in the Lower Mainland...will have to give the Biltong a try. Any others?

Anyone care to contribute their favourite spots to shop for specialty ingredients outside of Vancouver? I'm always looking for European style gourmet shops since after my move to S. Surrey (aka my "exile") I'm really missing my trips to Bosa, the Italian Market, European Specialty on Prior, Famous Foods and The Drive. Here are mine: Greco's on King George Hwy., Surrey Country Boy Fine Sausage & Delicatessen, 93rd and Scott, Delta So far, I haven't found others. If anyone cares to oblige, I'd be eternally grateful!

After purusing the rave reviews, I finally gave the Kolachy Shop a try last week. To sum it up in a two words: BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! With staunch Southern Slavic roots and proud gastronomes in the family, "kolach" means any sweet cake or pastry. The 'pastry' at KS was bread. And lots of it too! Barely any perceptible filling whatsoever. Admittedly, perhaps it was the dismal selection at the time I arrived at 1 pm that could be the reason for my lack of "wow" factor, however, I was hoping for more of a yeasted/flaky pastry that surrounds a rather substantial filling. What I got was, well, dismal and insipid. I ordered the BBQ Beef - well I could have done better boiling up a tough cut of bottom round and adding some Bulls-Eye! Ick. The apricot filling in the dessert kolachy I had was too dried-apricot-ish. Very plain and boring although I liked that it wasn't too sweet. Cherry was like canned cherry pie filling, and don't get me started on the revolting lemon curd/cranberry compote (was that sticky substance LEMON CURD? really?!? - I mean what does it take to make a decent lemon curd even for the most cooking-challenged among us?) And where were the cranberries, the fact that the lemon "curd" was died a pinkish hue doesn't qualify as "cranberry compote"! I would have liked to have tried the apple/cheddar and the poppy seed, but no, by 1pm they were sold out. Comparing our old family traditional kolach to these I'd say we should start a shop - at least ours would be tasty! My aunt's Makovnjaca (Poppy Seed Rolls) are divine. Sorry Kolachy shop, I live to eat my kolachy at home.